Fox-Disney Deal Reportedly Not Abandoned Yet

A new report claims that Disney’s possible acquisition of 20th Century Fox isn’t off the table yet. For years now, there have been rumors of Disney and Marvel making some sort of deal with 20th Century Fox that would allows the X-Men and Fantastic Four into the MCU. The success of Spider-Man: Homecoming alone proved it was a possibility, but Fox’s success with Deadpool and Logan begged the question of what they would get out of the partnership. Earlier this week, a whole new wrinkle was added when it was revealed Disney was considering buying Fox.

Almost immediately after the news broke, word began circulating that the deal was already dead. Still, that didn’t stop fans and the industry from running with the speculation. Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld wants the Disney-Fox talks to die, but other fans see the chance for all of the Marvel Universe to finally be under one roof. The latest news, meanwhile, indicates that the issue isn’t quite settled yet.

CNBC, which broke the original story, is claiming the possibility of a deal between Disney and 20th Century Fox is still alive. While they claim their sources have stated talks haven’t been ongoing, they also claim that “it does appear at the very least that they have not abandoned the idea of that combination.”

Regardless of whether the deal goes through, the news has greatly benefitted both companies. Their stocks shot up after the initial news, and to date Disney is up 7% while Fox stocks have gone up a whopping 18% in the past few days.

The deal itself wouldn’t include Fox’s broadcast, news, or sports arms, allowing the company to home in on those areas of coverage. Meanwhile, Disney would acquire the company’s film and TV rights, bringing the X-Men along with The Simpsons, Avatar, and tons of other content. The deal would also allow Disney to compete with Netflix, which seems to be the impetus for the talks. This isn’t the first time something like this has come up, however.

Not long ago, there was word that Disney was looking to purchase Sony’s floundering entertainment division. The deal with Sony for Spider-Man and the company’s email hack debacle looked to spur the discussion amid falling earnings. Those talks seem to have died, however, and Sony is once again gaining steam after Spider-Man: Homecoming‘s success. In the end, 20th Century Fox’s hit films might not be enough for the flagship company to keep them around. While fans have their concerns, Disney would certainly benefit from the IPs they would gain in the deal.